Crystal Palace 2 – 1 Aston Villa: Eagles Swoop on Villains.

A debut goal from Bakary Sako three minutes from the end set Palace up for a 2 – 1 home victory their first of the season. An energy sapping first half was slow paced due to a very hot day. Sako started in place of Bolasie who was missing for personal reasons. Pardew started with Zaha and Bolasie who was missing for personal reasons. 

Pardew started with Zaha and Murray up front whilst Aston Villa debutante Traore came on in the sixty ninth minute and helped villa get back in the game. Scott Dann put Palace ahead from a Puncheon corner on seventy one minutes. An earlier goal from substitute Dwight Gayle was disallowed when it hit James Macarthur who was in an offside position. Traore drove into the palace box to set up a cross which was deflected in by papa Cisse to draw the sides’ level.

Then came the debutantes moment as Bakary Sako picked up a pass from Scott Dann after Amavi gave the ball away on the edge of the box to allow Sako to drill home from the edge of the box to set up a 2 – 1 victory three minutes from time. Palace now play Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night in the second round of the English League Cup.

Crystal Palace 1 – 2 Arsenal: Gunners Shoot down Eagles

Goals from Olivier Giroud and a Damian Delaney own goal fell either side of a crisp Joel Ward equaliser which meant Arsenal left Selhurst Park with a crucial first away win of the season.

The game was an even affair and palace was unlucky not to get a point from the game as debutant Conner Wickham struck the post whilst pace men Bolasie and Zaha looked useful whilst Francis Coquelin was lucky to avoid being sent off for persistant fouling yet ultimately the crisp build up play of Arsenal was too much. Debutant Yohan Cabaye linked up well with Jordan Mutch linked up together to create Crystal Palace’s best chances but in the end they fell short due to a lack of understanding moving forward.

A clinical Arsenal display was characterised by a superb scissor kick volley from Olivier Giroud meant South London hearts was broken whilst an own goal by Damian Delaney gave Arsenal the win cancelling out a Joel Ward equaliser

Season 15/16: Norwich City 1 – 3 Crystal Palace

Palace started the new season with debutants Alex McCarthy and Yohan Cabaye scoring on his debut with the last kick of the game. Norwich started well with a dominant performance in the opening twenty minutes with Wilfried Zaha volleying home on thirty nine minutes. 

After halftime Palace doubled their lead through defender Damian Delaney. Norwich then pulled a goal back via ex Birmingham City’s Nathan Redmond. Norwich then thought they had equalised via ex eagle Cameron Jerome but it was disallowed controversially for high foot. Palace sealed the game in injury time off a James McArthur slide rule pass with the last kick of the game to set up a 1 – 3 victory.

Palace started the campaign with a pleasing away victory yet newly promoted Norwich have much to be pleased about as under Alex Neil as a newly promoted team  they enjoyed good first half possession and was unlikely not to convert some early chances, conceding goals at crucial times either side of half time.

Fortunately Palace enjoyed a good start to the campaign in Norfolk and can be pleased to get their season off the mark with a win and with Bamford, Wickham and Gayle kept in reserve, Pardew can be pleased with Puncheons and Murray’s performance. Newly promoted Norwich can be happy with their performance and chances for Redmond and Jerome offers hope for the remainder of the campaign.

Palace continue the season at Selhurst next Saturday with a home game against Arsenal. 

Dagenham & Redbridge 1 – 0 Crystal Palace

A new look Crystal Palace side took to the field at Dagenham only to lose by a goal to nil to a competent and efficient Dagenham side. Dagenham deserved their victory but Palace looked out of sorts as new strikers Conner Wickham and Patrick Bamford looked to strike up an understanding. Indeed Dagenham took the lead when a shot back across his goal from Chambers only for Mc Clean to slot home and give the daggers the lead.

Palace went close when Chung Yong Lee went incredibly close for the eagles only for McClean to slot home and give the daggers the lead. Only to be denied by a great save from the Daggers keeper Cousins who also saved well from Bamford and Wickham. Palace looked good but Dagenham was solid.

 Quintessentially Dagenham Challenged palace for supremacy but Alex McCarthy a new Acquisition from QPR was on reasonably hot form to keep Dagenham at bay til they scored midway through the second half. Palace had the pace of Sully KaiKai on the wing and looked fundamentally like a cracking winger and an able deputy to the injured Yannick Bolasie. Indeed for a league two club 

Dagenham was excellent but both Zavon Hines and Frasier Campbell were taken off injured. Jodi Jones hit the Crossbar for Dagenham whilst Jamie Cureton shot narrowly wide, in a game Dagenham and Redbridge won 1 – 0 .

On Saturday Dagenham kick off the season at Leyton Orient in a London Derby, Whilst Palace Kick off away to Norwich City 

Preseason 2015/16: Palace 1 – 1 Fulham

Palace and Fulham  fought out a 1 – 1 draw, Fulham took the lead on eight minutes with a goal from Ben Pringle with an equaliser from Papa Soure’s first goal for the club on forty eight minutes which meant a turgid game on a hot day was lined by a slow pace. Indeed both teams enjoyed a high level of possession with Glenn Murray shanking an early chance over the crossbar, yet the reality was Fulham were on top in the first half with Palace coming back into it in the second half with debutant Cabaye looking good with Zaha and Ledley coming on in the second half. 

Other new signings Patrick Bamford was rested after scoring a hat-trick against Bromley on Tuesday night, whielst new signing Conner Wickham signing too late for selection.

Considering Fulham are a Championship Club, Fulham put up an excellent showing and was worthy of the draw. In what was a slow paced game directly affected by the hot weather. Palace conclude their preseason programme for 2015/16 with a game at Dagenham and Redbridge on Monday evening. The following Saturday the 2015/16 season kicks off in earnest in Norfolk vs Norwich city, even if match tickets for the disabled at 45 pounds is ridiculous.

Season Review 2014/15

So the season 2014/15 has come to an end and Crystal Palace five years on from near extinction find themselves finishing tenth in the league, with new manager Alan Pardew winning ten of his first fifteen matches in charge. For the second season in succession Palace bettered their points total recording their highest points tally in their Premier League history.

What was the highlight of the season? Possibly beating Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool as Palace improved their performances from last season against the top five clubs improving their performances against Chelsea last season.

So in review of a good campaign what other highlights are there? Without doubt the understated top form of defenders Scott Dann, Breta Hangeland and Joel Ward along with the undoubted consistency of long serving keeper Julian Speroni in his testimonial season against Dundee United. Other highlights include the continued good form of wingers Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha both of whom continue to improve the good form of wingers Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha both of whom continue to improve coming into the campaign with questions over their form Zaha because of his failed move to Manchester United and Bolasie as he continues to improve since his move from Bristol City. An undoubted highlight of the season was Bolasie’s hat-trick in the 1 – 4 demolition of Sunderland at the Stadium of light.

Another highlight of the campaign is that the team continues with a team largely built in the Championship with the likes of Speroni, Ward, Delaney, Jedinak and Murray stepping up to the plate and evolving from a Championship to Premier League squad. The fact that Dann, Hangeland , Kelly Mutch and Ledley have also added to the depth of the squad can only be a good thing. The team are enjoying arguably their best run of form since the heady days of Steve Coppell in the early 1990’s.

So what next for season 15/16  Palace like a good beer or cider have evolved slowly and next season could be dependent upon the careful signings made in the window Indeed depending on who Pardew brings in could influence how the season turns out. Yet reality says the table does not lie and what goes around comes around in a cyclical style, so if Palace invest astutely in the whole team then eventually next season if investment is shrewd than Palace can advance and eventually and hopefully the squad will be solid enough to amalgamate new recruits and advance upon the league like a solid military unit.

Competitive football in 2015 is very much like a business with expensive marque signings often bearing the brunt of whether a team succeeds or fails. Indeed it is shown with top heavy clubs like Aston Villa or Newcastle that success does not always follow investment in Newcastle case in point.

So finally what next for Crystal Palace. After finishing 10^th this season and improving their global profile much excitement remains at the prospect of stadium redevelopment and fresh investment under the day to day stewardship of Alan Pardew, Keith Millen Phil Alexander and Hari Jani. The future for the immediate term 2015/16 season looks very fulfilling and exciting

Eagles See Off Swansea in End of Season Swansong!

Palace saw off Swansea by a goal to nil to end the season in tenth position and this meant that Pardew had achieved a second top ten finish in two years, a fantastic achievement.  The game was a tough test and palace put up a good performance although due to illness I left at half time. In the first half 

Palace was dominant and in the second half the match was won by a Maroanne Chemakh goal. The goal arrived when Scott Dann headed a free kick into Chemakh’s path and this meant all was well that ended well for the Palace Centre forward. Next season Palace will re-enter the campaign with renewed vigour as long as they keep feet firmly on the ground. The Eagles faithful as they realise anything could be possible.

Yet the problem remains how much leeway you give to summer signings as they will be joined in the top flight by Bournemouth, Watford, and Norwich. This was Palace’s first victory over Gary Monk’s Swansea since 2008 when Shefki Kuqi scored at the Liberty 1 – 3 victory under Neil Warnock.

This has been  a good season for Palace spurred on as they have been by the miders touch of Alan Pardew and it has been another successful season as Palace secure a third season in the Premier League for the first time